Ian On The Red Dot

Aaron wrote an entry “Why I Would Leave Singapore“.

The comment:

America is a good place to live in. The food is good, individual freedoms are enshrined in statute, and it’s a global hub of hubs.

However, I cringe when I see the video of Rodney King’s beating, and the race riots thereafter.

I feel indignant for the many Americans whose access to free speech is limited not by law, but by their lack of wealth or lobby contacts.

I am saddened at how Americans celebrate success, while leaving millions of their countrymen without medical coverage.

I shake my head in disbelief that today’s Americans would mortgage the economic future of their children, to pay for their own retirement.

I shed tears for the victims of Columbine and its ever-repeated sequels, and even more tears for the society that enshrines rights which allow such tragedies to recur.

I wonder at how great nations can be so poisoned by street drugs, that their lawmakers must contemplate the creation of supervised injecting houses that whitewash drug addiction.

I fear the grass may not be any greener than the green card you contemplate.

And it is unfortunate, that your rhetoric speaks so much of the “I”.

The reply:

Online New Citizen,

Of course my rhetoric has to speak with “I”. I don’t have the right to speak for other people, and neither do you.

And to respond, I cringe at the video of Rodney King’s beating and the race riots thereafter, but I’m heartened at the public outrage which led to the conviction of the perpetuators.

I feel indignant that many American’s access to free speech is limited not by law, but by the lack of their wealth or contacts. I feel even more indignant that in Singapore, free speech is limited by both.

I am saddened at how Americans celebrate success, while leaving millions of their countrymen without medical coverage. I am even more saddened at how Singaporeans celebrate success, with a select group defined by a select elite able to access every available opportunity. Barack Obama would never get the opportunity to run for the highest office in this country.

I shake my head in disbelief that today’s American’s would mortgage the economic future of their children to pay for their own retirement. I wonder if it’s any better that my government always tinker with our retirement plan to achieve economic imperatives, and they are always quick to reduce our retirement funds but slow to restore it, not to mention, increase it.

I shed tears for the victims of Columbine and its ever-repeated sequels, and even more tears for the society that enshrines rights which allow such tragedies to recur. I shed tears for victims of the ISA, who were denied access to trial and kept out of public eye. At least there’s a public outcry over the shootings. I shed even more tears for the society that enshrines rights which allows detention without trial and right of hearing.

I wonder at how great nations can be so poisoned by street drugs that their lawmakers must contemplate the creation of supervised injecting houses that whitewash drug addiction. I wonder at the great nation of mine that doles out harsh penalties on drugs but doesn’t bat an eyelid in maintaining economic and political relations with the world’s second largest opium producer, Myanmar. Oh yes, I almost forgot about the “Saffron Revolution”. Surely action speaks louder than words?

The grass may not be any greener than the green card I contemplate, but at least there’s hope. I rather settle for Pandora’s box than to have no box at all.